Not easy reviewing a school where you also teach but I tried to give it my honest opinion. The system has been in existence for 40 years and has evolved over time. Richard Lee owns the school and is also the founder of the system. I put this in the RBSD section because even though we consider ourselves to be a CMA school, we are geared towards self defense. It's also considered a traditional martial arts school in that we focus on mind, body and spirit.

Although the system is founded on Tracy Kenpo, it also has a great deal of CMA influence. It also contains aspects of Shotokan, TKD and a number of other styles. Although grappling is really not part of our system, it does include joint locks/manipulation and throws. The best description of the school and the system can be found on the website.

10/06/2007 3:42am,

JohnnyCache

Please elaborate on the accomplishments of your full contact fight team, if you could - we've not heard much about bok fu or its varients being applied in the ring.

10/09/2007 10:53am,

jdinca

Okay, here's a synopsis of our full contact team. I apologize if this reads like a school advertisement but everything I've written is verifiable through the USKSF and TWKF. We fight by kuoshu rules:

Lei Tai (Full Contact Fighting) Rules

1. Contestants will fight on a 24 foot square, two and one half foot high Lei Tai.

2. Competitors must use headgear, gloves, mouthpiece, and groin cup. Female competitors must also wear a chest protector.

3. Elimination rounds will be 1 1/2 minutes each. The final fight in each division will have 2 minute rounds. The victor must win two out of three rounds.

5. Penalties:
• Contact to the eyes, throat, back of the head, or groin is illegal. For female competitors, contact to the chest is also illegal.
• Techniques using the head are illegal.
• Fouls:
♦ First violation: 1 point deduction
♦ Second violation: 3 point deduction
♦ Third violation: disqualification
• Technical Fouls:
♦ First violation: warning
♦ Second violation: 1 point deduction
♦ Third violation: disqualification
• Any serious foul will be grounds for immediate disqualification.

6. Competitors who maliciously hurt their opponents will be held liable for any damages or injuries. The executive referee has full authority to stop the fight at any time for safety or any other reason.

7. All rules are in accordance with The World Kuoshu Federation Rules.

8. Any coach disputing the results of a match and wishing to have arbitration of a match for any reason must notify the chief referee verbally within 15 minutes of the match. The team coach must then file a written request for arbitration along with a $300 arbitration fee to the tournament director within 30 minutes. If the arbitration is settled in favor of the arbitrating team, the fighter shall receive a refund of the arbitration fee; otherwise, no refund will be given.

In 1975 Richard Lee coached the US team for the first World Kuoshu Tournament held in Taiwan. All 15 team members were his students. There was the Chinese division and the International division. The US team took first place in the international division.

GM Richard Lee has coached the US team a total of 3 times with the majority of the team members being his students. Qualifying for the national team requires being the top of your division in the national tournament held in Baltimore every July. This tournament typically has 6-8 countries represented. The world tournament is held every three years.

In 2003, Richard Lee's first disciple John Buckley, was appointed coach of the US team for the World Kuoshu Tournament held in Brazil. Eight of the team members came from East West Kung Fu and the team took second in the world to Brazil. The results were three first place, two second, a third and a fourth.

In 2006, Buckley again coached the US team for the world tournament held in Singapore. The US took first in the world with eight of the team members coming from East West. Five East West competitors took first in the world with two second places and a fourth.

The school has produced a number of national and world champions over the years. Although fighting is a small part of what we do, it's the success on the national and world stage that was the impetus for changing Bok Fu from a style to a system Bok Fu Do.

The school also has several BBs that have been certified Referee 'A' for the TWKF and referee on the Lei Tai.

4/22/2008 2:48pm,

GoldenJonas

Sorry, every MA teaches something in the way of self-defense application.....this is still CMA however, so the review has been moved to the appropriate section.